Toronto Theater Reviews: Best Shows & Critic Recommendations Page 30

BWW Reviews: Stratford Festival's TAKING SHAKESPEARE is Heartwarming and Thought-Provoking
by Lauren Gienow - August 04, 2013

Tuesday night marked the opening of TAKING SHAKESPEARE at Stratford Festival's intimate Studio Theatre. This play, written by Canadian playwright John Murrell, and directed by Diana LeBlanc, tells the story of an unlikely bond that develops between a professor (Martha Henry) and a struggling univers...

BWW Reviews: Wavestage's HAIR is High Energy & Refreshing
by Brittany Goldfield Rodrigues - July 31, 2013

With music by Galt MacDermot and book and lyrics by James Rado and Gerome Ragni, HAIR has been around for years. It's been around long enough to earn a Tony win for best revival, and take that revival on a tour. Wavestage's production of HAIR channeled everything audiences have come to know and lov...

BWW Reviews: IT'S ALWAYS YOU Delights Audiences at Best of Fringe at the Toronto Centre
by Alan Henry - July 26, 2013

It's Always You, a new musical being presented at the 'Best of Fringe' is a delightful and impressive new work by Canadian writers Dan Redican (book/lyrics) and Scott White (music). The show looks at the choices people make, and how they affect the outcomes of our lives....

BWW Reviews: MEASURE FOR MEASURE - Politics, Power, and Humor at Stratford
by Roy Berko - July 25, 2013

Shakespeare's MEASURE FOR MEASURE gets a solid production at the Stratford Festival. Its message of mercy, justice and their relationship to pride and humility is clearly etched. Those who like the Shakespearean style of writing and plot development should be pleased with this staging....

BWW Reviews: THE THREE MUSKETEERS, A Swashbuckling, Farcical Intrigue at Stratford
by Roy Berko - July 25, 2013

Stratford's THE THREE MUSKETEERS is a melodramatic delight filled with swashbuckling action, farcical interludes, and bigger than life characters. It tells the triumphant tale of good winning out over evil. The production should delight those who want to escape the real world and live out the fantas...

BWW Reviews: FIDDLER ON THE ROOF at Stratford Festival is an Ode 'To Life'
by Lauren Gienow - July 24, 2013

Stratford Festival's production of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF leaves very few human emotions un-experienced by its characters and the audience alike. It explores: human values, happiness in everyday life, newfound love, fear of changes-big and small, the agony and frustration that comes from ignorance and ...

BWW Reviews: MARY STUART is a Royal Success at the Stratford Festival
by Lauren Gienow - July 22, 2013

MARY STUART, directed by Stratford Festival Artistic Director, Antoni Cimolino; explores the complex relationship between Queen Elizabeth I of England and her cousin Mary Stuart, the former queen of Scotland-and, and in the eyes of some, a more rightful heir to the English throne. The play was origi...

BWW Reviews: ANYTHING GOES is a Delightful Romp at The Princess of Wales
by Kelly Cameron - July 22, 2013

The Roundabout Theatre Company revival production of the hit 1940's musical Anything Goes opened this past Thursday night at The Princess of Wales Theatre, during one of the worst heat waves the city of Toronto had ever had. With ushers dressed in sailor uniforms and clever social media photobooths...

BWW Reviews: Stratford Festival's WAITING FOR GODOT is a Must-See
by Lauren Gienow - July 15, 2013

Theatre-goers are going to be intrigued and delighted by Stratford Festival's production of WAITING FOR GODOT-directed by Jennifer Tarver, and featured on-stage at the Tom Patterson Theatre until September 26th. Excellent direction by Ms. Tarver, perfect set design by Teresa Przybylski and lighting ...

BWW Reviews: Phenomenal Cast in Lower Ossington Theatre's AVENUE Q
by Brittany Goldfield Rodrigues - July 03, 2013

AVENUE Q is quite honestly Sesame Street for adults. The Tony Award winning show is without a doubt worthy of it's award winning satus with it's quirky puppet characters, hysterically explicit music, and heart warming plot line. The Lower Ossington Theatre's production of the show encapsulates the m...

BWW Reviews: THE SOUND OF MUSIC at the Huron Country Playhouse Will Be One of Your 'Favourite Things!'
by Lauren Gienow - June 11, 2013

The 2013 Season of Drayton Entertainment's Huron Country Playhouse opens in a delightful way with Rodgers and Hammerstein's loveable classic: THE SOUND OF MUSIC! With some of the most beloved songs from the Rodgers and Hammerstein repertoire performed beautifully, and a well-known story told with sp...

BWW Reviews: The Script Tease Project
by Kelly Cameron - June 10, 2013

The National Theatre of the World is kicking off their first year as Soulpepper Artists in Residence with THE SCRIPT TEASE PROJECT, a week long engagement where they improv plays based on the first two pages of scripts written by famous playwrights. Made up of Matt Baram and Naomi Snieckus, The Nat...

BWW Reviews: CATS at the Panasonic Theatre is a Magical Night Out!
by Alan Henry - June 12, 2013

CATS triumphs at the Panasonic Theatre, leaving audiences wanting more. This incredible new production with an all Canadian cast is a perfect night out for the entire family!...

BWW Reviews: TOMMY's Talented Cast Rocks the Stratford Festival
by Kelly Cameron - June 02, 2013

The Stratford Festival's production of TOMMY was arguably one of the most highly anticipated shows of this season. It marks Des McAnuff's return to the festival and to the 'rock musical' genre, and also marks the twentieth anniversary of the original production. With a cast of some of Canada's bes...

BWW Reviews: Stratford's ROMEO AND JULIET Goes Back to Basics
by Kelly Cameron - May 28, 2013

The Stratford Festival kicked off it's 61st season with a 'original principles' version of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, starring Daniel Briere and Sara Topham and directed by Tim Carroll. BWW was on hand to review the first show of the season....

BWW Reviews: Shaw Festival's GUYS AND DOLLS Has Moments that Sparkle
by Mark Andrew Lawrence - May 25, 2013

GUYS AND DOLLS, the mainstage musical at the Shaw Festival this summer offers an enjoyable, tightly paced staging that gives audiences a chance to revisit one of Frank Loesser's most sparking scores. Of the four leading players, two give well-developed performances but are unbalanced by the other c...

BWW Reviews: WEST SIDE STORY at the Symphony Gives New Life to Classic Movie
by Alan Henry - May 29, 2013

West Side Story at the Symphony is an incredible experience, combining the classic movie with a a score played live by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra....

BWW Reviews: I LOVE YOU, YOU'RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE Touches on Human Truths
by Mark Andrew Lawrence - May 21, 2013

Angelwalk Theatre, joining forces with the Koogle Theatre Company of Burlington, is reviving I LOVE YOU, YOU'RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE at the Toronto Centre for the Arts. It remains a crowd-pleasing delight thanks to the four vibrant performers who take us on a tour of the little moments in life to whi...

BWW Reviews: Soulpepper Stages Hilarious BARBER OF SEVILLE
by Frances Fong-Lee - May 20, 2013

Soulpepper's production of The Barber of Seville is a hilarious night out at the theatre and a hit amongst audiences....

BWW Review: The Lower Ossington Theatre's RENT
by Brittany Goldfield Rodrigues - May 08, 2013

Rent is Jonathan Larson's musical about a group of friends struggling to make ends meet. In his critically acclaimed show, he tells the story of love, loss, and struggle. Larson tells the story through the experiences and relationships of his colorful and complex characters whom audiences have grown...

BWW Reviews: THE BOOK OF MORMON
by Kelly Cameron - May 05, 2013

The Book of Mormon opened in Toronto last Thursday, kicking off a sold-out six week run at The Princess of Wales Theatre. Arguably the most hyped show of the year, Toronto audiences have been clamouring to get tickets to this Tony Award Winning production. BWW was on hand opening night to see if t...

Video: Watch a Preview of the COC's LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR; Opens Tonight!
by BWW News Desk - April 17, 2013

The Canadian Opera Company's production of LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR, directed by David Alden, opens tonight, April 17. Watch the video below for a preview!...

BWW Review: Alexander Showcase Theatre's THE NEW MEL BROOKS MUSICAL YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN
by Brittany Goldfield Rodrigues - April 16, 2013

The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein is based on Mel Brooks' movie of the same name. It follows the story of Victor Frankenstein's grandson, and pokes fun at of all the Frankenstein installments....

BWW Reviews: Canadian Stage's RACE
by Frances Fong-Lee - April 12, 2013

Acclaimed actor and international film and TV star Jason Priestley marks his return to the stage in Canadian Stage's production of David Mamet's RACE after a 13-year absence....